Held in Time
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: There's people you only know thru what others tell you. Fuzzy memories until they're nothing but a flash. What if you could go back/change the past? Find them, save them from meeting untimely ends? If you got the chance, would you do it? Would you go back in time & try to save them? Would you risk your own life, your own existence, so that they could live? 4th in Haunted universe.
1. Chapter 1

**Held In Time**

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Summary: There's people you grow up knowing, seeing every day. And then, there's the people you only know through what others tell you, through pictures and video. You have grainy, fuzzy memories of them, and as you grow, the memories begin to fade; the scent of their hair, the sound of their voice, the feel of their skin. Until they're nothing but a flash in your memory. But what if you could go back and change the past? Find them, save them from meeting their untimely ends too soon? If you got the chance, would you do it? Would you go back in time and try to save them? Would you risk your own life, your own existence, so that they could live? Fourth in the _Haunted_ Universe. **

_2033, Eureka, Oregon_

The album dropped, falling open when it hit the floor. She knelt down, picking up the various other trinkets that had fallen, and stopped, at the photograph staring up at her. She sat back, taking the album into her lap. A couple stared up at her- they were young, beautiful even, sitting on the stairs in a home. She was wedged between his legs, his arms wrapped tight aroun her shoulders, his chin resting on her shoulder. She wore her long raven hair down around her shoulders in waves, and they were grinning like idiots at the camera. Her eyes moved down to the date beneath the photograph:

Jo and Zane, January, 2012

Her breath caught. It was _them_.

She'd only ever heard about Jo Lupo and Zane Donovan from family- her step-dad was Jo's best friend, had looked out for Zane after Jo died- but never had she known them.

That she could remember.

She had vague memories of a woman letting her piggyback around the bunker, or a man wrapping his leather jacket around her. Memories of sitting in front of someone on a motorcycle, or playing Hide and Seek. And what she didn't officially remember, she knew from watching video her parents had shot. The videos were the only time she really got to hear their voices, listen to their laughter, watching them be as in love as they had been. Old photographs were all she had to see their faces, their eyes, their smiles.

But videos, photographs, stories, wouldn't bring them back. She would never be able to touch them, hug them, have any sort of contact with them. Her parents had memories of the pair she would never have, and she longed for them so.

A moment passed, before she got up, closing the album and putting it back on the shelf. Then, she grabbed her book bag and turned to go. She got no further than the door. A framed photograph on the mantel caught her eye. It was her aunt, a soft smile on her face, holding a toddler. Tears began to run down her cheeks, and she returned to the shelf, grabbing the album and stuffing it in her bag. Then, she grabbed her keys and left, brushing the tears from her cheeks.

* * *

She swallowed, the coffee was hot against her throat, and she relished the heat as it ran towards her stomach. She looked up, to see her older sister enter the Cafe, and after a moment, she set her coffee down, getting up as the older woman made her way towards the counter. "Jea!" Her sister wrapped her in a hug, before pulling away.

"Sorry I'm late, Joey. I got sidetracked." Her sister chuckled.

"Don't worry about it, Jea. Being... Head of Security is tough. You can handle it. She did." Her sister replied. The older woman bit her lip.

"It's... not because of work, it's because of-" She looked around. "Can we... sit somewhere else?" The younger woman nodded, and grabbed her cup and the cup Vincent had set down for her sister. Then, she led her to a table in the corner, taking a seat.

"So, what's up, Jen. You look upset." She asked, once the two had settled down. Jea took a deep breath. A moment passed, before she pulled the photo album out of her back and set it on the table, opening it to the photograph of them on the stairs. She slid it across the table.

"I was... looking for that book Mom wanted and... knocked this off the shelf. It opened to this page." The younger woman's blue eyes moved down to the photograph, reading the names.

"Oh Jea..." Her sister sniffled.

"I don't even remember them. I have... fuzzy memories at most. The ones of him are a little better, but her... practically nonexistent." She licked her lips. "I want to know what they were like."

"Don't look at me, Jea. They both died before I was born."

"You were born before he died." Her sister corrected.

"I might as well not have even been concieved when he died. I have no memories of him- or her for that matter. If you want to know about them, ask Mom and Dad." She sipped her coffee. "They should be here any-"

"There are my girls." Both looked up, to see Jack and Allison Carter make their way to their table. When they got close enough, the two got up, hugging their parents before returning to their seats. "It's about time we all got together. How's Oxford, Joey?" Jack asked, as one of the waitresses set their coffee in front of them. The younger girl shrugged.

"British. It's Oxford." The twenty-year-old replied. Jack laughed, reaching out to pat his daughter's hand. He caught his oldest daughter pulling the album towards her and closing it, and reached out, stopping her. "Jenna, what's this?" He pulled the photo album towards him, opening it, as Jenna sat back, biting her lip. He opened the album, scanning the photographs, before stopping on the one that had started the conversation in the first place.

"They looked so happy." Allison whispered, leaning against Jack's shoulder to see the photograph of their deceased friends. He nodded. "Could you imagine what they'd be doing now, if they were here?"

"Probably have a gaggle of deliquent kids by now." Carter whispered in response, gaze on the photograph. Allison chuckled softly, glancing at the date.

"This was taken months before she died. At least they had a few more months of happiness before Dr. Hansen took her from us. I only wish it hadn't happened. Maybe they'd still be with us." Jack squeezed her hand in comfort. Licking her lips, Jenna said,

"I want to know more about them."


	2. Chapter 2

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Yes, this is all third person point of view, mainly focused on Jenna.**

Her parents shared surprised looks, before Jack asked, "Don't you remember them, Jenna?" She bit her lip.

"No. Not really. Well... I... I have... very vague memories of them." Allison nodded. She opened her mouth, but her cell rang, cutting her off. After scanning the text message, she looked up.

"I'm sorry girls, but we've got to get going. Henry needs us back at GD. We'll see you both for dinner?" The two nodded, and after quick hugs and kisses, they rushed off. Once their parents were gone, Jenna got up, nodding for her sister to follow her. They headed through the park, passing by Memorial Gardens and going towards the church.

"Why are we here again, Jen?" Joey asked, watching her sister make her way towards two small plots. Jenna ignored her. She pulled a small teddy bear from her bag, then knelt between the two stones and set it between them. "Um... Jen... Ah... I have to get back... I have... I have to go... I... I'll see you at home?" When she didn't reply, the younger woman left, hurrying from the cemetery. Jenna didn't try to stop her. She knew that Joey hated cemteries, that they scared her. She didn't blame her...

But Jenna wasn't scared. In fact, she enjoyed her visits to the cemetery- it was the only time she got to see her aunt and uncle. As she knelt down, she caught sight of the many trinkets and things left at their graves. One message- written on a rolled up piece of paper near Jo's marker- caught her eye, and she knelt down, picking it up.

_You truly are Eureka's guardian. Rest in Peace, sweet guardian angel._

She sat on the ground, between the two plots, the piece of paper in her hands, tears flooding her eyes.

Jenna Stark had been highly affected by both Jo's death and Zane's. She'd practically witnessed Zane's- at nearly eight-years-old, she'd followed him to the town line, and had heard, rather than seen, the crash that had killed her beloved Uncle. Zane had lost his life in an accident three years after Jo's death- most in Eureka thought it was a planned suicide, and even Jenna couldn't blame him if he had. She remembered the lost look on his face, the pain whenever anyone mentioned Jo, and refused to speak about her.

Until the day he died.

She closed her eyes, that day all too clearly coming back.

She'd rushed out to him, throwing her arms around him, begging him to take her with him, and he'd pulled her onto his lap, wrapping her in a hug. He'd told her softly why she couldn't come and before he set her back on her feet, he'd whispered something that even now, made her blood run cold.

_"Auntie Jo will be so proud when I tell her that you want to be in law enforcement."_

Back then, the statement had only confused her, but now, she knew what he'd meant, what he'd been planning. Zane hadn't wanted to live without Jo- she'd even gone so far as to joke about him swearing off women for the rest of his days if she ever passed away. While she had once joked about it, Zane then took it seriously when she did die. Jenna knew, that after her death, he never looked at another woman- at least not the way he'd looked at Jo.

Except her.

Zane loved Jo, and he loved Jenna too, and told the child how, if Jo had lived, they'd have had children who were as sweet as her. She knew that Zane considered her as his niece, even introducing her to his mom one Christmas. Tessa, of course, had been thrilled that Zane was watching out for the child Jo had loved so, and she'd complimented Carter and Allison, thanking them for letting Zane dote on Jenna, now that Jo was gone. The child took his thoughts away from the woman he loved being gone, if only for a little while.

Now, she curled up on the ground, in between the stones, sobbing. Twenty-one years had passed since Jo died in that FTL explosion down in Section Five. Eighteen since Zane's accident had taken his life.

And all she wanted, was her aunt and uncle back.

* * *

"Jack, did Jenna seem... off to you?" The sheriff turned to his wife, sighing.

"Something wrong with Jenna?" Henry asked, from his desk. Carter moved away from the window.

"She... wanted to know about Jo and Zane." He replied.

"More than that. She's in the cemetery, sitting there, staring at their stones." The three turned to see Joey enter, tugging her jacket close.

"I thought we left you at-"

"You did, Mom, but... we walked to the cemetery, and... I got creeped out and left. I hate cemeteries. Although, I think if Jen could, she'd live there. Just... beside Aunt Jo and Uncle Zane. And be perfectly happy." She shivered. "My sister is fracked up."

"Josefina Charlotte!" The younger woman flinched. She crossed a line whenever her full name was used, and she knew it.

Jenna always called her lucky- "You have Auntie Jo's _name_. You're named_ after_ her. Do you know how_ lucky_ you are?", to which she'd replied that, "It's not lucky! It's a curse!"- because she was the namesake. Allison and Carter had seen it as a fitting tribute to their deceased friend. Jenna was jealous, and the child in question hated it. Her parents unwilling to call her Jo- too many painful memories would be brought up, Carter had once said- so they called her Joey, instead. It was a nickname everyone in Eureka adopted.

There was only one Jo, and there always would be.

"I'm sorry, Mom, but she is! I'm worried about her! When we were walking to the cemetery, she said something about traveling... in time to... meet them or... something... I don't know! But I'm worried!"

Henry glanced from the girl to her parents, the old worry about time travel flashing before his eyes. "Maybe we'd better keep Jen under observation. Or at least... talk to her."


	3. Chapter 3

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

"Jenna, sweetie, can we talk?"

She looked up from buttoning her coat. It was well past midnight, and she needed to get home- though she lived on Corolis Loop, dinners at the bunker were common- and she didn't have time for idle chitchat with her mom. She bit her lip. "Sorry Mom, but... I have reports to go through, that needed to be done yesterday. Uncle Henry will have my head if I don't get them done and filed by tomorrow night. I'll see you tomorrow." She went to the door. "SARAH, door, please." It swung open, and she moved to step through it, only to find Henry, Grace and Fargo, with Jo's three best friends behind them. "Uncle Henry? Wh... what's going on?"

"Joey, told us that... you've been... acting strangely, Jenna." The younger woman glanced back at her sister, shaking her head.

"No. I... I'm fine, Uncle Henry, I promise." She moved to leave, but Carter's hand on her arm stopped her.

"You were sleeping in the cemetery, Jen. You were curled up on their graves." She turned to her step-dad.

"How do you-"

"Andy found you. He said you'd gotten so cold, you passed out. Jenna, if something's bothering you, we need to know. Now come sit, we'll talk about this." She scoffed gently.

"Nothing's wrong, Daddy. I'm fine. I promise. I just... was talking to them and... lost track of time. That's all." She bit her lip. "I go to visit Auntie Jo and Uncle Zane all the time, you know that. They get lonely, and even when they don't, Auntie Jo needs something to talk to besides Uncle Zane. He drives her crazy dead or alive." She laughed softly, and the others all stared at her, shocked and horrified. Eventually, Blythe pushed though the small group, going to Jenna. She led her over to the sofa, taking a seat.

"Jenna, we know Josie's death affected you. It affected all of us. We lost our best friend. She... survived Nine-Eleven and war, but... died in Eureka instead. We'll never get over her, we love her, but that doesn't mean we have to obsess over her. Either her or Zane. She would have wanted us to move on, and we did." Jenna pulled away.

"I did move on. And I'm not obsessing over them! I love them." Blythe took her face in her hands.

"We know. We love them too, but at some point, you have to move on and _let them go_. Jenna, they're watching over you, this isn't healthy. Can you imagine what they're thinking? If I were Josie, I'd come back from the dead and slap you. And that's what _I'd_ do. Josie would do much worse. Like a bullet up your rear instead." Jenna bit her lip.

"Why are you here?" She asked, as the door swung closed behind the others.

"Because we figured if anyone could get through to you, it'd be them. They're Jo's best friends, they know her better than anyone." Allison said as Carter wrapped his arms around her.

"You all say I need help, but your just as bad!" Jenna said, climbing to her feet. "Photos everywhere, home videos! Daddy has them everywhere! He still has a photo of Auntie Jo on his desk- and Uncle Henry has an image of them in his office! And you say I need help!"

"Jenna, we have photographs to remember them by. We don't go out and _fall asleep on their graves_!" Hertz cut in, taking a step towards her. "We have photos to remember them, because we love them. Love is different than obession. This isn't healthy, Jenna! If Jo was here-"

"But she's not! She's dead! She and Uncle Zane are dead! I want them back! I want my aunt and uncle back! I don't remember them! I want to, but I don't! Don't you? Don't you want them back? Don't you want everyone you ever lost back? Don't you?" She turned to Blythe. "Don't you want your sister back? And don't you want Dad back?" She asked, turning to Allison.

"I would love to have your dad back, Jenna, but I can't. Nathan is never coming back, and neither is Tamsen's sister, and neither are Jo and Zane, and you have to accept that, sweetheart. You have to move on and remember them they way they would want to be remembered- happy, full of life and healthy."

Jenna shook her head. "_That's just it! I don't remember them! I don't remember Auntie Jo_ and I _barely remember Uncle Zane_! And the videos I see of them are just videos! _Those aren't my memories! They're yours_!" She took a deep breath. "There's people you grow up knowing, _seeing every day_. And then, there's the people you only know through what _others_ tell you, through pictures and video. You have grainy, fuzzy memories of them, and as you grow, the memories begin to fade; the scent of their hair, the sound of their voice, the feel of their skin. Until they're nothing but a flash in your memory- and not even that! I don't remember the scent of Auntie Jo's hair, or the sound of Uncle Zane's laugh. I don't remember any of it!" She looked around at them all.

"You all have these wonderful memories of them, funny stories and... silly pictures and... and some of you grew up with them... I don't have any of that. I just have albums full of pictures and videos I don't remember being shot. If it wasn't for those, I wouldn't even remember what they _looked like_. I just want to remember them... I want them back. I want them alive!"

"Jen,_ they're dead_." Joey said, going to her sister and taking her by the shoulders. She shook her hard, staring into her dark eyes. "They _aren't coming back_. They _are never coming back! Accept it. Get over it and move on_!"

She pulled away from her sister. "But what if they were alive, Joey?"

"What are you talking about? You're gonna dig them up and go all 'Dr. Frankenstein.' You're insane." Jenna shook her head.

"No. I'm not. What if you could stop them from dieing?" She turned to Carter. "What if you could stop Auntie Jo from going down to Section Five? Or stop Uncle Zane from getting on his bike and leaving Eureka? What if... if you could go back and change the past? Find them, save them from meeting their... untimely ends too soon? If you got the chance, would you do it?" She looked around at all of them. "Well? Daddy, don't tell me you wouldn't stop Auntie Jo. She's your best friend." Carter kept quiet. She turned to Allison. "Would you go back, Mommy? Go back in time and try to save them?"

"Jenna, sweetheart, it's not possible. You_ can't. Bring back. The dead_." Rowley said, going to the younger woman. She turned to look at the redhead, and burst out laughing. She clapped her hands.

"That's what you think. But you can. I cracked it."

"Cracked what?" Joey asked. Jenna turned back to her sister.

"Time travel. I've been working on it in my spare time, but... I did it. I cracked time travel."


	4. Chapter 4

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

"Sweetheart, I think you need to lie down." Allison went to her oldest daughter, leading her back to the sofa, but Jenna pulled away.

"No! What I need to do is go back and stop them from dieing!"

"Jenna, this isn't a scene from _Somewhere in Time_. You can't just take everything out of the room, put on an old-fashioned suit, and listen to a recording of your voice telling you what year it is!" Allison replied. She glanced at Carter, who shrugged, with a look that screamed, _Humor her_.

"How... are you going to do that, Jen?" Carter asked; Jenna turned to him. A moment passed before she went to her purse and pulled something from it. She went to the sheriff, holding it out to him. He took it, confused.

It was small; about the size of a pack of cigarettes, but thin, no thicker than a. He popped the hatch on the side, pulling out what appeared to be a chip for an old digital camera. He studied it, before turning his gaze to his daughter. "A... photography chip?" Jenna shook her head.

"No silly. You take a strand of their DNA and feed it into the chip. You need the DNA of the people you want to see. Otherwise it won't work."

"And you're gonna... test it?" He asked. She nodded. "Is it safe?"

"This is going to be its first test. So we'll see if it works." Seeing the startled look on Carter's face, Rowley rushed over to the young woman. She gently led her over to the sofa, sitting next to her.

"Um, Jenna, do you just go back to them... or how does that work?" She suddenly found herself staring into the woman's dark eyes.

"You set it to a specific year, otherwise, you'd end up in any part of their lives, with no way to get to where you need to be." Rowely nodded, turning to look at Carter. Her expression said it all. "Don't you see? I'm going to go back and stop Auntie Jo from going down to Section Five. I'm gonna stop her from dieing. And that means, if Auntie Jo doesn't die, then Uncle Zane won't die. Because they'll be alive. Together."

Carter sighed. He knew, that this had something to do with Zane's death. Witnessing the crash- even if she only heard it- had obviously sent Jenna on a downward spiral that she'd managed to keep hidden until now. If Zane weren't dead, Carter'd beat the crap out of him.

"Jenna, honey." Allison watched her daughter turn as she stood. The look on her face stopped her heart; she didn't recognize her child. "What... _exactly_ are you going to do when you go back in time?" She paled at her daughter's reply.

"I told you, Mommy. I'm gonna stop Auntie Jo from dieing." And then she was gone; no one moved. The simple declaration was too much, and they found themselves unable to comprehend anything beyond what had just been said.

* * *

She shut the door softly behind her. The lights turned on dim, as she moved into the kitchen and fixed a cup of tea. Then, she made her way upstairs, into her bedroom. She gently set her purse down and pulled out the compact, setting it on the bed, before climbing onto her bed. She wasn't tired, instead, she was filled with energy, and eager to try her device. She picked it up, laying on her back, to study the device she'd created.

If she succeeded-

Then her aunt and uncle would be alive. She'd have cracked time travel, and changed the world of science forever.

But if she failed-

She shut her eyes, she didn't want to think about the ramifications of her failure.

She knew that everyone had looked at her like she'd lost her mind, back at the bunker. They didn't believe her; thought she was having a nervous breakdown. She knew that Henry and Fargo, Grace and her mom were all looking at this scientifically- that time travel wasn't possible. But if she only knew about the Time Traveling Five... and that her beloved aunt had been one of them... but she didn't. She knew only what she'd read in novels.

A moment passed, before she sat up, rummaging around in her nightstand drawer. Finally, she pulled out a small sewing kit, and removed the needle. She stared at it for several minutes, looking from the tip to the photograph on her nightstand. It was a rare image- one of her with Jo and Zane, when she was a toddler. Jo had her in her arms, and Zane had an arm around Jo's waist. He was tapping Jenna's nose, and she was laughing, reaching out for him. It was the only image that didn't make her heart stop, or her eyes tear up, for some unknown reason.

Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the needle in her grasp. She hated needles. But her device required a drop of her blood. And Jo and Zane...

_They're counting on you._

She took another breath, closing her eyes as she pressed the needle to the tip of her finger. She jumped, yelping. As she moved to bring her finger to her lips, she suddenly remembered why she'd pricked her finger in the first place. She turned, picking up the device and removing the chip. Holding her finger over the ridges, she let a couple drops hit it, before returning it to the hatch it belonged in. Once the hatch was closed, she turned her attention to the dial-

... 2012.

With the blood added and the date set, she lay back, staring at the device, before turning her gaze to the photograph. Taking a deep breath, she turned the device on, and closed her eyes.

* * *

She could_ feel_ the colors losing their vibrancy. Could smell time slowing down as it worked back towards the date she'd set. She could taste the space around her changing, yet she didn't dare open her eyes. Moments passed; hours that felt like minutes, minutes that felt like seconds, as time wound backwards and she left the world she knew.

Suddenly, color came back, more vibrant than ever; the space changed around her, and time-

Stopped.

Her eyes worked open, and she looked around. It took several minutes for her to get her gaze to focus, but once it did, she found she was in-

Well, that wasn't exactly clear.

She slowly sat up, rubbing her head. The incident with Kevin and Carter's baseball bat came to mind, as she climbed to her feet. After finally getting her bearings, she looked around. She was in some sort of backyard, and slowly, she moved towards the back door. A quick test told her it was unlocked, and she slipped inside. The lights were off, the AI most likely powered down for the day. She found herself in a back room- sort of like a family room- and slowly, she moved towards the kitchen. The house looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place where.

Being careful not to draw attention, she tiptoed towards the stairs, only to stop and duck behind the island at the sight of someone coming down the stairs. Poking her head around the island, she watched the person walk into the living room and take a seat on the sofa. She crawled on hands and knees towards the stairs, keeping to the shadows, when she stopped.

Whoever the person was sitting next to laughed- a laugh that, if Jenna concentrated real hard, she knew. Suddenly, the laugh faded, replaced with a voice she hadn't heard since she was a toddler.

"Zane! Stop it!"


	5. Chapter 5

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

Her breath caught in her throat.

_Auntie Jo...?_

The woman laughed again, followed by silence. Taking that as a cue that she was occupied by her companion, Jenna crawled towards the stairs-

And instead of reaching the stairs, she slammed head first into a nearby table.

The silence was broken when the woman gasped, and quickly, she and her companion were on their feet, making her way towards Jenna. The lights came up, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into two _very familiar_ sets of eyes.

Zane Donovan and Jo Lupo stood over her, unreadable expressions on their faces.

* * *

"Who the hell are you and how the hell did you get into my house?" Jo cried; she hadn't stopped her pacing since they'd found the young woman laying in front of the stairs. Except to grag the girl, hoist her to her feet and shove her against the wall. But other than that, she hadn't stopped her pacing.

She glanced up; Zane worked on the cut the girl sustained, casting a glance at Jo. "Well, answer me!"

"Give the girl a break, Jojo. She hit her head pretty hard, let her get her bearings straight." He replied, once he'd finished. She glared at him.

"Sure, and while we're at it, why don't I let her have at my liquor cabinet or my gun rack? _I don't think so, Zane!"_ He sighed, rolling his eyes. He set the first aid kit down, turning to Jenna.

"Who are you, exactly?" He asked, slowly. Jenna looked up. She should say something, but she knew that giving her full name wasn't an option. And telling them that she was here to stop Jo from dieing would go over real well. Eventually, she licked her lips. Zane watched her, waiting, his blue eyes filled to the brim with curiosity. She took a deep breath.

"My... my name is..." She looked from Jo to Zane and back. Jo waited, eyebrows raised. "Jack."

"Jack?" Zane's eyebrows shot up in amusement, and he chuckled. "Interesting name." Jo narrowed her eyes, swatting her boyfriend.

_"Zane."_ Jenna caught the look Jo was giving her, and quickly amended,

"Short for Jacqueline. Jacqueline Ramsey. Jacqueline Henrietta Ramsey."

"Henrietta?" Zane asked. He glanced back at Jo. "And I thought your name was a mouthful, Josefina Charlotte." She narrowed her eyes at him, swatting him again.

"Shove it, sweetheart." Now, Jo turned her dark eyes to Jenna, scrutinizing her. "What are you doing here, Jacqueline Henriette Ramsey?" She asked. Jenna knew she was mocking her by using her full name, and right now, she didn't blame her. She'd do the same were she in Jo's place. The girl bit her lip. "You don't look like you work for GD. In fact I know you don't. I get all the files for new members of GD, and nowhere was your name on any list."

"I... I'm a friend of Zoe Carter's." Jo raised one lowered eyebrow. "We're both in the pre-med program at Harvard; she's my roommate. She... invited me to stay um... here for a few weeks and... we went out last night, and I... had a little too much to drink. Must have thought this was her house. Guess I was wrong. Sorry." She shrugged, glancing up at the pair. Jo turned to Zane.

"Well?" He started.

"What?"

"What do you think? What do we do with her?" Zane thought a moment. He rocked back on his heels.

"It's up to you. You're Head of Security." Jo glared at him, then grabbed her keys off the end table. She went to the sofa and tossed him his leather jacket.

"Come on." Zane stared at her, confused.

"We're taking her back to Carter. She's Zoe's friend, so that makes her a_ Carter_ problem." He rolled his eyes, nodding to Jenna to follow. Slowly, she did as told, following. The ride over to Carter's was quiet, as was the walk down the stairs to the main door. She fidgeted as they waited for the door to open, and when it did, she found herself stairing into her dad's eyes. A younger version, but still.

"Jo? Zane? What's... going on?" Jo sighed, leaning against the door jam. She cocked her head towards Jenna, sighing.

"Zane and I found this girl in my house. Said her name's... Jacqueline Henrietta Ramsey and that she's pre-med at Harvard. And that she's Zoe's roommate. So... technically, that makes her your problem, not mine." Jo said, pushing herself away from the door frame. Carter glanced at Jenna, before turning around.

"Zoe!" The blonde came up behind her dad, looking at Jo and Zane curiously.

"What's... going on?"

"Jo has someone here who says she's your roommate at Harvard. You know her?" Carter asked, nodding towards Jenna. Zoe turned, studying her, and after several minutes, shook her head.

"No. Sorry. She's not my roommate. My roommate's from New York- and white as snow." Then, she turned, going back into the house. Carter turned back to Jo and Zane, a small grin tugging at his lips.

"Looks like she's your problem, not mine. Sorry Jo." And then he headed back into the house as the door swung closed behind him. Jo watched him, mouth open in shock. Moments passed, moments in stunned silence, before Jo turned and stalked back up the stairs and out to the car. Zane followed close behind, with Jenna bringing up the rear. She studied the two, saw how Zane fell into step beside her, saw how he tried to take her arm, and she yanked away. Obviously Jo was pissed, and from what everyone had told her growing up, Jo was_ not_ one to cross.

"... we are _not_ taking her home! If we have to, I'll lock her in Carter's cell, but I am _not taking some random stranger home! And certainly not some random college girl!"_ She winced, hearing the jealousy in her aunt's voice.

"Jojo... Jo... _Josefina... look at me_." He took her into his arms, tilting her chin up. "If that woman in reproductive biology can't get me to look her way anymore, what makes you think that little thing can?" He asked, nodding back to Jenna. Jo seemed to deflate a little, the wind taken out of her sails, before she looked up at him. "You trust me, don't you?"

"Yes... and I'm sorry, I just... after what I went through watching you flirt and play with Zoe last year, I-"

"Hey. I_ told_ you. That was just a summer thing. It was never serious. We're friends, nothing more. She's back with Lucas, and I'm with you. We parted friends and went our seperate ways. You have nothing to be worried about. I love you."

"I love you too."

Jenna stopped. She looked up, in time to see Zane capture her lips in his._ 'The Zoe thing?'_ She'd never heard of it. Her dad never said anything, and Zoe herself certainly never mentioned it. She found herself filing the information away for another time, when Jo's voice broke her thoughts.

_"Hey! Come on, get in the car!_ Looks like we're stuck with you for the night." Zane chuckled.

"We'll be fine."

"I _still_ say we lock her in Carter's cell."

"You heard him, she's our problem, not his." Jenna did as told and climbed into the back, listening to their banter all the way back to Jo's house.


	6. Chapter 6

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

"Here's the guest room. There's extra toiletries in the bathroom, and I will get you a pair of my pajamas. As for your clothes, that's your problem." Jenna turned from the guest room at the soft sound of snickering.

Zane leaned against the door frame, hands in his pockets, watching the two women with mirth in his eyes. "What's so funny?" Jo asked, raising her eyebrows. He held up his hands in surrender, shaking his head.

"Nothing babe. You're just so..." She raised an eyebrow, going to him.

"So what, Zane?"

"Uptight. I think, that she can figure out where everything is. She's not a child, she's... got to be about eighteen, maybe twenty. She'll be fine." He was met with a smack to the back of the head, and winced.

"I am not uptight." She ground out. He laughed again, pulling her into his arms.

"Yeah, you are. But you know what? That's part of what I love about you." Then, he leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips. Jenna watched them, a dreamy look on her face. Zane's eyes snapped open after several seconds, and he pulled away, turning his blue gaze to Jenna, who squirmed. She'd seen video of him, very vaguely remembered staring into that blue gaze as a child. It was beautiful, she could see why Jo seemed to love staring into his eyes. "We're gonna go to bed. If you need anything Jack, let us know. Okay?"

The girl jumped, not used to the name she'd given them upon first meeting. Zane chuckled. "Calm down. We're not the calvary." He squeezed Jo's waist when she opened her mouth to contradict, and after a moment, she nodded, clearing her throat.

"Let me go get those pajamas for you." And she extracted herself from Zane's grasp and left. They watched her go, before Zane turned to Jenna. He pushed himself away from the door and took a seat on the bed next to Jenna.

"So, Henrietta. Tell me about yourself." She shrugged.

"I... I'm twenty-five. Pre-med. Harvard. I'm only... going pre-med because my parents want me to." He nodded.

"And what do you want to do?" He asked softly, his blue gaze never leaving her face. She glanced down at his hands, before reaching out and taking one. She pressed her palm to his, images of doing the same thing as a child flashing through her mind. Being lifted into his arms and spun around, or being dipped as he nudged his nose against hers. Of feeling his hands on her forehead, holding her still when she broke her leg falling off her bike, or holding her to him when she broke down in tears.

Zane's hands were the only thing that Jenna really connected with her uncle. Big and strong, yet tender. Tender enough to comfort her when she was upset, or hold Aunt Jo, like in the videos she'd seen. Tender enough to help her mom when she needed it, or assist her dad in some sort of case. With Zane, Jenna's memories of him were always tender...

She licked her lips. "I... I want to go into law enforcement. My dad's the sheriff of this... small town and... before that, he was a U.S. Marshal. I... I want to be a deputy someday." She glanced up at him. "Or maybe a Head of Security, like my Aunt Jo-" She stopped, her eyes going wide and she met Zane's gaze.

"Aunt Jo?" He asked. She could see the wheels turning in his head, and knew she'd slipped up, if not completely screwed herself over. She gaped for several minutes, before,

"M... My Aunt Joanna. She... she's Head of Security for this... company and... I... I grew up... hearing stories about her... She... she died when I was just a baby."

Zane nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that." She gave him a tiny smile.

"Thanks."

"She just... she looks so much like my aunt..." Zane turned his attention back to the door.

"Jo?" Jenna nodded.

"Yeah. Dark. My aunt had... Italian and... Mediterranean in her... same features and everything..." Jenna burst into tears, unable to stop herself, and she buried her face in Zane's chest, holding tight to his hand. He started, surprised, and after a moment, reached out to rub her back.

"It's okay."

* * *

She folded the pajamas and shut the closet door. This was ridiculous. The girl had said she was Zoe's roommate, and therefore, rightly admitting that she was Carter's problem. And then to have Zoe contradict her-

She was so angry, she could kill.

She refused_- refused_- to be stuck with a girl who obviously lied about her connection to Zoe. Who obviously had no business in Eureka, and who had- somehow- managed to sneak into the town without people knowing, let alone the kind of security clearance most people needed. The fact that this girl had shown up, without any identification or profile, meant there was something going on, and as Head of GD Security, it was Jo's job to look into it. And first thing tomorrow morning, she'd do just that.

She took a deep breath, making her way down the hall. She stopped outside the door, hearing their conversation.

"... I want to go into law enforcement. My dad's the sheriff... he was a U.S. Marshal. I... I want to be a Head of Security, like my Aunt-"

"Jo?"

"... Aunt Joanna... Head of Security... died when I was just a baby."

"She... looks so like my aunt... same features and everything..."

She heard the girl break down, followed by the sound of her curling into Zane's side. A moment passed, before he whispered softly to her, and slowly, she glanced around the corner. The girl was curled in his arms, holding tight to his hand, sobbing. Jealousy quickly flared in her, before being stamped out with empathy for the girl. She'd obviously lost someone very close to her, someone she barely remembered, but who'd left a profound impact on her.

Squaring her shoulders, she entered the room, pajamas in hand. She set them on the chair, watching out of the corner of her eye as Zane leaped away from the girl like grease leaping from the frying pan. The girl sat wiping her eyes, as Zane got up and went to her. "I... was just... I wasn't doing anything." He said, hands up. She glanced at him.

"Or course you weren't." Her tone came out snide, and she turned to the girl. "Goodnight." Then, she turned and stalked out of the room, hearing Zane follow.


	7. Chapter 7

**R****ifiuto: Non Miriena**

She lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling. Couldn't sleep was an understatement. She'd screwed up royally, and in front of Zane!

From what she'd been told, he could figure out a Rubex cube in a minute, and hacking into a government facility was child's play. Figuring out that she wasn't who she said she was- let alone not even from this time- would be a piece of cake. He wasn't stupid.

Rolling onto her side, she reached for the nightstand, before remembering that the device was in her pants pocket. Groaning in annoyance, she rummaged around before finally finding it and returning to bed. She flicked the light on, and sat back against the pillows.

It was-

Fried.

Her time travel had fried her device. She must have callibrated something wrong. Maybe her formulas were off. But even so, she wouldn't be able to figure it out without giving herself away. Tears began to threaten, and she struggled to keep from crying. After all this, getting back to this time, finding her aunt and uncle, seeing her step-dad, and managing to worm her way into her aunt's place- her intentions were good- and her device was fried.

So even if she_ did_ manage to save her aunt- and therefore, her uncle- from a death too young, she _still_ wouldn't be able to get home.

So not only had she screwed herself over by slipping up about her family history, but she'd also screwed herself over by frying her own device.

What was her dad's old saying? Oh, yeah...

Once shamed, twice screwed.

She choked on a sob, ripping at the device, but, because this was her, she'd made the thing indestructible to breakage- not frying. In a fit of anger, she threw the device at the wall, screeching in frustrated pain as the device hit the door.

She didn't see it fall into the hallway, nor did she care. Instead, she curled up under the covers and broke down.

* * *

Jo looked up, at the sound of something hitting wood. A moment passed, before she returned to her book. She had a feeling that it had to do with the girl, and she wanted nothing to do with her at the moment.

The sink was turned off in the bathrom, and she glanced up.

Nor did she want anything to do with Zane, right now, either.

She returned to her book, sneaking glances as he changed into his pajamas. The sight of the muscles flexing in his back sent her pulse racing, but she smothered the feeling.

_You're not happy with him, remember that!_

But when he climbed into bed beside her, her hard resolve began to crack, especially when he settled beside her and pulled her close. He said nothing, only pressed his lips to her neck in a hot kiss that brought goosebumps to her skin. She lowered her book, turning to him, a glare on her pretty features. He looked up smiling at her in that cocky way of his.

"Not tonight. I'm not happy with you." He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"We're weren't doing anything, Jojo. She was upset and all I was doing was comforting her. I swear."

"Now why don't I believe you?" He pulled away, turning his back to her.

"Fine. Forget it. Why do I bother explaining myself to you? You don't believe me, anyway." She groaned, shutting her book and setting it on her nightstand.

"Well, when I come into the room and find you holding another woman- _a child no less_- can you blame me?" She snapped.

"And I told you, Jo! I wasn't doing anything! You're acting like you caught me making out with her! I wasn't! I thought we were past this! I'm with you. I love you. Can't you get that?" She took a deep breath, laying on her side. He turned to look at her, seeing the tears in her eyes. "Oh Jo..." She struggled to breathe as the tears rolled down her cheeks, and he gently reached out to brush them away.

"I nearly lost you. I lost you once-"

"But you got me back. Both times." She choked out a sob.

"And then... the Astreaus..."

"Jo, I came back. I came back to you, remember? You found us. If it hadn't been for you..." He pulled her into his arms, suddenly understanding that seeing him hold Jenna, comfort her, had brought back horrified memories of seeing him with Zoe, of the Astreaus going missing, of the high probability that while the ship had been found, the chance that the crew wouldn't- was very real. Even weeks after the incident, with the two of them going back and forth between her house and his apartment- both had enough stuff at each other's places to open up a small clothing store- little things still brought up old fears.

"Jo, I love you. And no one - _no one_- is going to take me from you. You _understand_ me? I'm not going anywhere." He pressed a kiss to her hair, holding her close.

They didn't hear Jenna rush back to her room.

* * *

The next morning, hair still dripping from his shower after his run, Zane made his way to the stairs. He'd picked up breakfast for Jo, and the girl- oh yeah, Etta. Or Jack, or whatever she wanted to be called. He'd spent until two in the morning, comforting Jo, calming her fears and soothing her doubts. How could she, after these last two years, still think that he would ever- _ever_- leave her for another woman?

After all the crap they'd been through for hte last two years- the time travel, the Zoe thing, the Astreaus- all of it, she should have known that they were together- and going to be together until the day they died. He couldn't fault her- the girl showing up shook him off his axis also, but still-

He stopped, kneeling down at the sight of something lying on the floor. He examined it as he picked it up. It looked like a cigarette cass- but thinner, with a small... he shook out what appeared to be a memory chip for a camera. The whole thing looked fried, burned, almost. He brought the chip closer. That stain on the ridges looked like-

"Morning."

He stood, shoving the chip back into the hatch and stuffing it into his pocket. "Morning, Etta." The girl looked exhausted, like she hadn't slept at all the night before. "I... picked up breakfast. I... wasn't sure what you liked, so I got a maple bar and a Vincespresso for you. They're in the kitchen."

"Thanks." He watched her head downstairs. Once she was gone, he pulled the device out of his pocket. It was quite an odd little device. Definately something he'd have to tinker with when he had some spare time at work.


End file.
